Beneath the tightly knitted tree canopy, it already appeared to be nightfall. 

Visena crunched her way through the brush towards Malum's borders. The forest was teeming with life: crickets, owls, cicadae and a very persistent robin. The forest dwellers conducted a symphony for their guest, and Visena felt like she was at home. 

Then, after a few more minutes of wandering, she passed a giant oak. It had to be a hundred feet tall as the trunk travelled well beyond its evergreen neighbours. A strange spiral travelled down its length, stripping the outer bark and revealing inner red and white flesh. An old lightning strike, perhaps? Visena lifted a hand to brush against the markings and felt a strange tingling through her arm. It was Fae magic. The painful zap across her fingertips made her jerk away and shake her hands. Not my type of magic, I guess...

The first step past the strange oak plunged the forest into silence. The Fae realised then she must be in Malum territory, no longer the neutral ground between packs. The tree was likely a marker for the wolves, but that did not explain the traces of magic.

Uneasy energy settled in Visena's gut as she trod onward. Despite the deathly silence of the darkness, she felt eyes on her—many eyes. A clearing opened up ahead, and Visena resisted the urge to run towards it. The light of the Blue moon illuminated strange shapes crouching in hunched forms all around her. With clenched fists, Visena walked forward, pretending she couldn't see the dozens of humanoid creatures watching her. The smaller masses atop their 'bodies' shifted after her as their lightless eyes observed her path. 

The Earth Fae.

A squatted silhouette appeared in the clearings centre, atop a small platform, alone. Dirt had been scratched and shaped into a square stage, framed by rotting pine logs and topped with flat ply. Behind them was pure, impenetrable darkness—a void. Even Visena's wolf eyes could not pierce the blackness. 

When the figure stood to full height and turned, Visena swallowed the gasp that had risen in her throat. Zeir sneered with a malicious grin, his mouth twisted up joining the necrotic wound across his face: reminiscent of Nex markings. The moon's illumination cast an imposing shadow before her, his shadow head almost reaching her feet.

"I see you came looking for me this time, little nymph." Zeir's voice was garbled and sounded more wolf than human. His teeth were unnaturally long in his mouth, biting into his bottom lip and drawing pinpricks of blood.

Without much thought of the consequences, Visena whispered, "What happened to you?" curiosity taking over for a moment. She bit her tongue to stop more dangerous questioning.

"I believe we have already had this conversation, mate. But yes, I suppose the wound has changed since we last met thanks to the filthy blood witch." He lifted a dripping mass from a sack at his side, throwing it at Visena's feet. This time the Fae's gasp escaped involuntarily. 

Visena had never met Rosemary, but she presumed the head belonged to her; the face permanently morphed into an expression of terror and suffering. Even the creatures surrounding Visena recoiled slightly. Then, with her heart full of sorrow, she bent down and stroked the poor woman's tear tracked cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Rosemary. May you be at peace."

In an instant, the pained expression changed into serenity. It was frightening to see her face move after being brutally decapitated, but Visena was grateful she could help the woman, even in death.

With a hardening resolve she stood to full height and scowled at Zeir. His face had twisted into confusion and contempt.

"Come here."

"If I become your mate, you have to let everyone else go. Leave Invictus, Caeruleum and all the other species alone."

A hideous cackling broke out behind Zeir from the darkness. "That's funny. You think you've come here to bargain. Stupid bitch. You're just a means to an end." Malum's witch sauntered forward and latched onto Zeirs arm. He stood still, but his face told a tale of revulsion. 

It looks like someone else is a means to an end.

Visena could see beneath her dress's thigh-high split, her legs were blackened and rotting.

She is one evil bitch.

If the Fae were any closer, she imagined the smell would be gag-inducing. The thought was enough to marr her face with disgust.

The witch hissed at Visena when she saw the object of her gaze and raised her hand before the rotten Alpha snatched it down.

"She is mine. Do not touch her."

The witch shrunk in on herself and pouted at the reprimand. Crocodile tears dribbled down her cheeks before she slinked to the platform's edge again, still gazing adoringly at Zeir... She had it bad.

"Come to me, and we can figure something out."

Visena was about to move forward when cold hands clamped onto her biceps.

"What were you thinking?" Mihnea scolded her before another presence appeared at his side. "Back off, Vamp." Calypso's smirk appeared to have Mihnea's dead heart racing if his mused hair and flapping, soundless mouth were any indications. 

Looks like he has it bad too.

The Invictus witch gave Visena an encouraging nod and the tiniest wink. She wasn't sure what Calypso knew that she didn't, but it emboldened her step nonetheless.

"Come closer." Zeir was too eager to show any caution, yet when Visena morphed her hand into a claw and went to slice his throat, he anticipated her moves instantly. His own shifted hand caught hers and snapped it like a wishbone. Visena's screams were cut off as her body spun, broken wrist now pinned between her back and Zeirs' sweating abdomen. It was already mending. Her bone sought out its other half before snapping back into place.

Zeir's whisper in her ear was chilling.

"Too slow." 

*

The moment Gideon returned to the cottage with his battle-hungry wolves, he knew something was off. 

Praelia and Invictus fighters stood idly, covered in blood markings on their faces and bare skin, waiting for orders that he couldn't give them. 

Panic whirled in the Alpha's chest and coiled up his throat as he raced through the home where he had finally proclaimed his love for Visena. The lighting in the rooms had a gloomy hue that confirmed Gideon's worst fears long before he came outside empty-handed.

He was seconds away from sprinting after her waning scent into Malum as he told Liam and Jed she was gone. Their grimaces and wide berth from the Alpha showed everyone felt his terror-mingled-fury.

It's my fault. I should have stayed with her. 

Thana stepped up with Eve at her side, casting her stern gaze at the fighters. Her bronze skin glistened where the crimson blood swirled patterns across her neck, arms and thighs. Eve's tattoos accentuated the red designs as she flexed and stretched her muscular arms. They made an incredible pairing. Gideon couldn't imagine letting his Gamma go with anyone less worthy.

Thyra grumbled low in her throat before saying, "Visena has made a head start. But, everyone, follow closely and do not engage until one of your Alpha's tells you."

Liam, Jed and the other Invictus fighters looked to Gideon for confirmation, to which he nodded. "Let's go." 

The packs ran through the forest in stoic silence, their eyes well adjusted to the dim light of the Blue moon. They passed the boundary at speed, following the faint scent of his mate. Gideon could detect dozens of still figures hiding in the trees, growing the unease in his body. Nothing moved. They didn't appear to breathe.

When a piercing shriek filled the air, Gideon's heart dropped. 

"Visena."

~~~

A/N

I was about to stop the chapter at "too slow." But it would've been too short and such a cliffhanger! I reckon this one is less cliffhanger-y 

Is anyone annoyed at Visena? It was pretty reckless doing this alone but is it justified? Realistic?

Also #12 in werewolf out of 198k wtf

Within 24 hours I jumped up 3k reads- literally amazing and my heart won't stop racing.

Thank you so much, everyone.

And to my new readers: Welcome to the party!!!!

Until next time,

K <3